A/N

So, you may have gotten an alert that this is a new chapter. It isn't. Chapter one, two, three, seven and ten are brand new. Ten was uploaded today!

Basically, I broke fanfiction by adding chapters to the beginning of this story and then moving other chapters around. Chaos!

Anyway, if you are looking for new content, just hit that drop down menu and check out the new chapters.

Thanks.

We now return to our originally scheduled programming.

Epilogue - Relationship Status Loading

It is a late Saturday afternoon and Chandler finds himself sitting in his Barcalounger alone, waiting. Something he is not very good at doing. He knows Monica should be there soon, but he is nervous with excitement and can't remain seated for too long. He gets antsy and distracted when he has to wait like this. He sways himself back-and-forth in his chair and gets up to pace every few minutes. He takes off and then puts back on a grey sweater vest, unconvinced about which way looks better.

Once Joey left for his audition, Chandler began cleaning the apartment. He made his bed, cleared off the coffee table, straightened up the couch, and washed the dishes. After his shower, he moved the chick and duck into the bathroom, knowing how Monica feels about them, so they would be out of the way. Once he was all done getting everything ready, waiting was all that remained.

He normally did not clean the apartment before Monica came over for fear that it might look suspicious; but now that Joey knows they are seeing each other, he no longer worries about acting out of character or being caught getting ready for a date. He also figures that after an afternoon with her mother, the last thing Monica would want is to come over to an unkempt space, so he put in some extra effort.

Ever since Monica put a label on what they were, and confirmed that they were not goofing around, but were actually in a relationship, he has felt a stronger desire to do everything right. To make everything perfect for her. He is genuinely surprised by the fact that he has this overwhelming need to impress her. She is no longer Monica, his friend who lives across the hall that he gets to have sex with. She is now Monica, his girlfriend. Even if he still does not have the courage to say it out loud, he knows it is true. He thinks about this as he bites his thumbnail and waits.

It is very quiet now. There is barely a noise save for the occasional onomatopoeia from the duck emanating out of the bathroom. Usually, this is the perfect backdrop for Chandler to get lost in his thoughts, which would be consumed by self-critical doubt. Yet today, all of his thoughts are of Monica. Her face. Her smell. Her skin. Her smile. He has no time for self-destructive behaviors. Not when she could be here any minute. He listens closely to see if he can hear footsteps coming up the stairs or through the hallway in hopes that she is finally back home.

Monica went to lunch with her mother. Once the fall season comes to New York, Judy Geller makes her way into the city more frequently to beat the holiday shopping crowd. Whenever she is in town, she will call one of her children to meet up, and today, it was Monica's turn. Chandler knows how Monica can get after a prolonged visit with her mother so he is prepared to take time and listen to her vent about whatever new criticism she had to endure. He is ready to be whatever she needs him to be. He is ready to be her boyfriend.

Monica walks into her apartment building, leans against the entrance door and lets out a long and therapeutic exhale. She begins to stretch out her fingers, trying to exorcise the last few hours from her being. As hard as she tries all she can hear is her mother voice ringing through her skull.

"You shouldn't wear your hair like that, it covers your face. Don't put your hair up dear, your ears are too big for that. That color isn't very flattering on you. Don't you think that skirt is a little too form fitting?"

Monica finally lets out a loud "Ugh!" and wipes a tear from her eye. The criticism wouldn't be so bad if it weren't combined with praise for Ross.

"Why am I never enough for that woman!"

She begins to walk up the stairs; still feeling claustrophobic from the weight of her mother's judgmental eye. She stops on each landing to take deep breaths. She doesn't want to bring this feeling of resentment with her into Chandler's apartment, but no matter what she does, she can't shake it. Mercifully, she finally reaches her floor and walks over to the door of apartment 19. She takes one more deep breath and enters.

Chandler stands up immediately upon seeing her. Monica closes the door behind her and leans on it, ready to exhale so loudly she might explode. All of Chandler's anxious energy as he waited for her quickly subsides.

"Monica. Wow. You look gorgeous."

"Really?" Monica smiles bashfully and starts to walk towards him. Thoughts of her mother's criticism instantly vanishes from her mind.

"Are you kidding me?" Chandler starts to gesture towards her with his hand. "That skirt, and that top, those little curls of your hair. Monica, you're a work of art."

Monica runs towards Chandler and embraces him with all of her being, forcing him back into his chair and she lands on his lap and starts to kiss him passionately.

"You don't know how much I needed this."

Chandler pulls back for a moment.

"This is good right?"

Monica nods. "This is good. This is really good."

They smile and stare into each other's eyes for a moment before losing themselves in each other as their lips crash and they share a series of long, passionate kisses.

A/N – Well, that is the end of the second part of this series I am working on. I want to thank everyone who read all of this and anyone who took the time to review or drop me a note. I don't think I am quite done with this pair, or with season 5, so we will see where we go.

I may slow down a little bit as I try to figure out where to go from here. I also want to take time to read what other's have written and do my part to support all the other contributors to this website.

I have plenty of ideas for every season and even some for after the show ends, and I am torn between saving my notes and going chronologically with just a long series of stories or starting different stories and adding to them as I come up with ideas out of order. I am pretty much going to stick to canon, but never say never.

If anyone has any suggestions on how I can make these stories or chapters more enjoyable or even just easier to read, please feel free to drop me a line. If there is any fanfic protocol I should follow that I am not, I would love to hear that too.

Thanks again!